UNION TOWNSHIP, MI (WTVB) – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDAD) is reportedly investigating after seven construction workers installing solar panels for DTE Energy last August reported being poisoned by pesticides from a crop duster spraying a nearby field in Branch County’s Union Township.
According to a pesticide complaint form obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by MLive, the workers were building a solar farm with contractor Barton Malow August 3, 2023 when chemicals drifted over from a crop duster spraying an “unknown farm.” DTE Energy confirmed the men were working on its 1,100-acre solar farm.
The complaint says the pesticides sickened the workers, sending them to the hospital. A 60-year-old reported dizziness, red eyes, numbness to the mouth and a headache. Three other workers experienced shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness and nausea. One man developed an itchy rash. Others reported coughs, shortness of breath and headaches.
MDARD is responsible for enforcing the sale and use of pesticides in Michigan in addition to human exposure.
The incident was one of 70 work-related pesticide illness and injury cases in 2023 documented by Michigan’s Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance Program, an annual report that’s been tracking pesticide poisonings for over two decades.
State officials say most commonly, pesticide exposure involves spills, splashes or mixing incompatible cleaning products. Only 1% of last year’s cases were considered high severity, or illnesses considered life threatening or requiring medical care.
The state’s investigation into the construction workers’ alleged exposure is still ongoing, with MDARD officials saying they are in the early stages of reviewing any possible enforcement.
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